First light in New Zealand has brought new reflections on the sacrifices of armed forces, past and present, on Anzac Day.
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Across the country, thousands of Kiwis have spent their morning at dozens of dawn services, from Kaitaia in the north to Invercargill in the frosty south.
Prime Minister Chris Hipkins, commemorating his first Anzac Day as leader, spent his morning at his local dawn service in Upper Hutt in Wellington's north.
Mr Hipkins said his two grandfathers were in his thoughts.
"My mum's dad was a signalman in the Air Force," he said.
"And my dad's dad had a very long period away from home from Greece to Italy to J Force during the Second World War," he said, referencing the name given to NZ forces in occupied Japan.
"The lifelong impact that had on both of my grandfathers is something that I've never underestimated.
"I think about them on Anzac Day. I think a lot of Kiwis will feel the same.
"They'll be thinking about their grandparents or great grandparents and the enormous sacrifices that they made for us to enjoy the freedoms that we do on a day-to-day basis."
Thousands turned out in Christchurch, where a dawn service returned to the city centre for the first time since the 2011 Canterbury earthquakes, which killed 185 people.
Auckland hosted NZ's largest dawn service in front of the War Memorial Museum on the city's domain.
In late morning, a national commemorative was held in bright sunshine in Wellington, with Mr Hipkins and top New Zealand Defence Force brass in attendance.
The glare took a toll on the black-clad members of the New Zealand Youth Choir, with four choristers fainting or needing assistance to leave the stage during the hour-long service.
One needed transporting off Pukeahu National War Memorial Park from paramedics.
The commemoration was also drew a number of quiet protests.
A number of Kiwis unveiled a "We Don't Want A War With China" banner which has been seen at a recent anti-AUKUS demonstration outside parliament.
Others arrived early to grab seats in the front row, draped in Greek and Armenian flags, called on NZ to officially recognise genocides which occurred in those countries alongside World War I.
Serving NZDF personnel will also mark the day in a number of stations around the globe.
In Lebanon and South Sudan, Kiwis are serving on United Nations missions, and will commemorate with Australian colleagues.
Dozens of New Zealanders serving in the United Kingdom helping to train Ukraine forces will mark the day.
There will also be NZDF commemorations in the Middle East, Japan, Korea, and, of course, Turkey.
Defence Minister Andrew Little and NZDF Chief Air Marshal Kevin Short are leading a delegation to Gallipoli, where Anzac forces landed 108 years ago.
Mr Little said on a previous visit he visited a memorial plaque to a lost relative on the peninsula - Patrick Gregory Fitzgerald, his wife's great uncle.
Fitzgerald, a carpenter by trade, enlisted as a 19-year-old with his two brothers, and was one of 850 Kiwis killed in a single week in the battle of Chunuk Bair.
Veterans Minister Meka Whaitiri said any acknowledgement from New Zealanders would be welcome on Anzac Day.
"Whether it's attending a Dawn Service or a parade here in the towns, cities and rural communities of New Zealand, or standing beside fellow Kiwis at Anzac events overseas, we can all take a few minutes to acknowledge lives forever altered," she said.
Australian Associated Press
